Trackway for toy trains



Oct. =21, 1941. E, coDERl QE 2,260,003

TRAQKWAY FOR TOY TRAIN S Fild March 1, 1941 2 Sheets-Shet 1 ATKICK Com-25 Oct. 21, 1941. P. E. E. CODERRE' 4 2,260,003

TRACKWAY FOR TOY TRAINS Filed March 1, 1941 2 Sheetl-Sheet 2 w f I \r\9 Pare/0K 5 E. Ccwzees Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATE S PATENT FF 1 CE 2,260,003" v TRACKWAY FORTOY TRAINS Patrick E. E. Coderre, Port Chester, N. Y. Application March 1, 1941', Serial No. 381,256'

3 Claims.

This invention relates to trackways for toy trains, and more particularly to trackways in the form of a spiral-helix.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a spirally-helical trackwayfor a toy train, mounted upona suitable base, and preferably formed of hollow quarter-sections which may be disassembled and nested together for storage.

Another object is to provide a toy trackway comprising a base, one or more spirally-helical trackways on. the base and so connected by trestles and switches'that a toy train may travel continuously over the trackway in either direction, the switches enabling the direction of travel to be reversed.

Still another object is to provide toy trackways in the form of spiral helices, mounted on hollow basal sections with the rail ends of the curved track sections at the partings of the. basal sections provided with means for interlocking. engagement, with trestles for connecting the trackways, and switches for reversing the direction of travel of the toy trains.

With the stated objects in View, an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan View of two spirally helical trackways mounted upon a base, connected by trestles for enabling continuous travel from up one and down the other, and including switches for reversing the train and direction of travel, a portion of one unit being broken out to show the hollow formation of the basal units.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail on a somewhat larger scale, on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing a recess in the base of the trackway for engaging a trestle end.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the assembly of Figure 1, showing in addition a train upon the trackways, a tunnel on one unit, a portion of the other unit being broken out to show the hollow formation of the basal material.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, showing the clasps for fastening the spiral track sections together in place.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in plan, on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail on an enlarged scale, of a means for electrically joining rail sections.

In carrying out the invention as shown in the drawings, I provide a two-part flat base of rectangular members 5, 5a each circularly recessed as at 6 on their upper sides and hinged together at l at their under sides and contiguous margins for folding together for storage.

Within the circular recesses 6 of the base boards 5, 5a are freely seated a. pair of basal, conical units 8, 8a with their lower and outer margins leveled off and nicely contacting the-intner peripheries of the recesses to hold them: in place. 'The units 8; 8a,: are roughly of the form of truncated cones as shown, and are hollowed out inwardly as indicated at 8b. They are also preferably quadrantal in form as indicated by the vertical parting planes 3c,v where they nicely meet and-fit together to form the complete. units 8. outwardly these units are spirally and helically terraced around their sides to form continuous and aligned trackways or road-beds 8d I from the bottom to the top of each, these spirally-helical road-beds being here shown as extending in a reversed relation. The hollow-quadrantal sections are releasably secured together on their inner sides by clasps 9 carrying sleeves 9a at their ends which seat'freely overhooks- In anchored at Illa through the vertical walls Be of the units 8-. These units may be molded of papier mach or constructed in any other conventional way, preferably of some insulation material for use with electrical trains. Flat and curved metallic rails or rail strips l2, and for electrical trains a third rail I2a, are provided, the same having teeth l2b punched out or formed along their undensides whereby they are mounted in regular, parallel order upon and around the road-beds or trackways 8d by piercing the teeth through and upsetting the points inwardly of the shell units as indicated at I20, thus forming rail-Ways conforming to the road-beds. Cross-ties may be lithographed or otherwise shown upon the road-beds, as indicated at [3 The road-beds or trackways may be grooved along the inner sides of the outer rail strips, as indicated at l4 to accommodate the wheel flanges of the train, such train being indicated at l5.

' At their lower ends the spiral track-ways are cut off sharply as indicated at US, and a removable, triangular track or rail unit IT, including conventional switch-stands or units l'la, Ilb, rigidly mounted upon wooden cross-ties H0, is freely fitted upon the base boards 5, 5a, in the space between the basal, conical units 8, 8a the ends of the straight rails 12 and [2a nicely meeting and aligning with the lower ends of corresponding rails of the units 8, at the abutments l6, while the incurved rails of the unit I! stand positioned medially, ending in the blunt-rail switch unit Ilb. An additional, straight, threerail track unit [8, rigidly mounted on cross-ties I8c is laid freely upon the base boards 5, 5a, where its inner ends may be moved into alignment with either side of the blunt rail switch llb, for the purpose of reversing the direction of travel of the train l5. This track unit may therefore be referred to as a reversing track unit. A conventional transformer 20 provided with a cord 2| for connection with a source of electrical energy, is releasably and operatively connected to the reversing unit l8 by the cord 22 and clip 23, in a conventional manner.

At the top of the basal conical units 8, 8a, the rails are cut off sharply as indicated at 25 and the road-bed 8:1 is slightly recessed outwardly of the rail ends, as indicated at 26, to freely receive and seat the end of a trestle or bridge 21 having mounted thereon three rails I2, I21: corresponding to and adapted at their ends to align with the rail ends of the units 8, 8a.

All rail ends may be releasably and electrically connected in any conventional manner. But in Figure 6 is shown a method thought to be novel. Here the ends of two aligned rails, such as the third rail I2a, are bent down as at I250, and one extremity formed into a retracted loop I2y opening horizontally outwardly, while the other extremity is formed into a complementary knuckle 122, aligned with and adapted to frictionally enter and electrically join the two rails.

The train I5 is operated on the tracks in conventional manner, and will pass continuously from one unit 8 to the other unit 811, ascending one and descending the other, or it may be reversed by means of the switches Ila, I lb, by running it upon the reversing unit [8 and then movillustrative assembly of units involving my invention, the same may be varied as desired, and the structural features thereof modified, Within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the kind described, a flat base formed with two circular recesses positioned side by side, conical basal units composed of radially parted segments seated in said recesses, said units and segments being hollow interiorly and being terraced exteriorly to form upon each 'a spirally helical road-bed, railways mounted upon and conforming to said road-beds, means additional to the recesses of the base for releasably locking the basal unit segments together, means for releasably and electrically connecting the rail ends, and railways extending between said conical basal units and connecting at their ends with the ends of the railways thereof, so that a train may run continuously from one unit to the other, ascending one, crossing over and descending the other, and then again crossing over and ascending the first.

2. In a device according to claim 1, auxiliary railways and switches upon the base for reversing the direction of travel of such train.

3. In a device of the kind described, a flat base, conical basal units mounted upon the base side by side, said units being terraced to form upon each a spirally helical road-bed, railways laid upon and conforming to said road-beds, and railways extending between said conical basal units and connecting at their ends with the ends of the rail-ways thereof in such manner that a train may run continuously on said railways from one unit to the other, ascending one and descending the other, the said conical basal units being hollow interiorly and formed in radial segments parted in planes extending through the axes of the assembled units, and the said railways being parted in the same planes.

PATRICK E. E. CODERRE. 

